Höegh Autoliners commits to run 5% of deep-sea operations on green ammonia or green methanol by 2030

Norwegian shipping company Höegh Autoliners joins First Movers Coalition (FMC) as one of the first shipping companies.

PHOTO: Photo of Aurora class vessel. Höegh Autoliners

Höegh Autoliners plans to run at least 5% of its deep-sea shipping on zero-emission fuels by 2030 through its Aurora newbuilding program, according to chief executive Andreas Enger.

In April, Höegh Autoliners signed a contract with China Merchants Heavy Industry to build four additional multi-fuel and zero carbon ready Aurora class vessels, increasing the fleet size to eight vessels. The company retains the option to add four more vessels to its order.

According to the company, Aurora vessels can carry up to 9,100 cars and are powered by MAN engines. It intends to modify the multi-fuel engine to run on ammonia and methanol as well as marine gas oil (MGO) and LNG.

The company expects delivery of two Aurora vessels every six months starting from the second half of 2024.

The US President and the World Economic Forum founded the FMC at COP26 to decarbonise heavy industry and long-distance transport. It now includes more than 50 companies, including Yara International and A.P. Møller – Mærsk with a total market value of $8 trillion on five continents.

“The shipping industry is an important focus for FMC, and as sustainability frontrunners within their sector, we believe Höegh Autoliners has a lot to bring to the First Movers Coalition,” says Nancy Gillis, Head of the First Movers Coalition.

By Konica Bhatt

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